Where to Eat Dim Sum in Lisbon

Where to Eat Dim Sum in Lisbon

I have a good friend who lives out by the beach in Cascais, who will drive a half hour into the city center and back again just to eat dim sum for dinner.

When this craving sets in it’s real, and at present there are but only a few restaurants in Lisbon specializing in this cuisine, with a few others adding dim sum options to their existing menu.

Má-Sá in Lisbon – by Má-Sá – Sourced from their website

The hunt for the best dim sum in Lisbon is continuously on, and if you know of any secret spots I’d love to hear them! Here’s what we know so far about where to eat this Asian dish in the Portuguese capital.

Dim Sum Light & Fun in Lisbon

As the name suggests, Dim Sum Light & Fun is a specialty dim sum restaurant. It’s instated inside of the Amoreiras Shopping Center in the far north of the city, so it takes a bit more time to find once inside the mall.

As far as the food goes, it’s nothing mind blowing but it’s good dim sum nonetheless.

Dim Sum Light & Fun in Lisbon – by Dim Sum Light & Fun – Uploaded by them

There are man variants of meat and vegetable dumplings to choose from. If you have dietary requirements be sure to mention it to them and they will point out the options suitable for you on the menu.

I was surprised to find that they have rice siomay on offer as well, which is unusual to find in Lisbon.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday – 11am to 11pm

ADDRESS: Amoreiras Shopping Center, 1070-103 Lisboa, Portugal

METRO STATION: Rato

Grande Palácio Hong-Kong in Lisbon

That friend of mine who drives for hours to eat dim sum in Lisbon? This is where she goes!

The restaurants is situated in a district called Santa Cruz, which is just north of the Alfama in the city center .

It’s a traditional Chinese restaurant and does not specialize in dim sum per say, but there are ample options on the menu; enough to make them into a main meal and not just as a starter.

by Doran Erickson – Unsplash

The food is the Asian favorite in these parts, and Grande Palácio is a much loved spot for the Lisbon locals as well as the Chinese immigrant communities.

Night time at Grand Palácio sees the restaurant crowded to capacity. A reservation for dinner is highly recommended unless you’re happy to wait. Note that they only accept local credit and debit cards, if you’re traveling from outside of Portugal be sure to bring cash.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday – 12pm to 5pm // 7pm to 12am

ADDRESS: R. Pascoal de Melo 8, 1170-140 Lisboa, Portugal

METRO STATION: Alameda

Bao-Bao in Lisbon

Bao-Bao is my personally favorite for dim sum in Lisbon, and yes I actually would drive an hour just to eat here.

It is situated in the vibrant little neighborhood in Lisbon’s center known as Chiado. A hub of good food, great cocktails, name-brand shopping and free guided walking tours.

The menu at Bao-Bao specializes in all three of my favorite Asian meals: dim sum, bao buns and pad thai.

Bao-Bao in Lisbon – by Bao-Bao – Uploaded by them

The food is phenomenal, no matter what you order. I recommend the veggie dim sum platter and bao of your choice as a stater meal, followed by their pad thai as a main.

Each dish is carefully plated and you can tell a lot of love goes into what they do at Bao-Bao. The staff as also too happy to cater to vegan eaters and make adjustments to dishes where possible. There are also gluten free options!

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday – 12pm to 11pm

ADDRESS: Largo Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro 30, 1200-369 Lisboa, Portugal

METRO STATION: Baixa-Chiado

Macau Dim Sum in Lisbon

Macau Dim Sum may sound like a restaurant that caters solely to this dish, but it’s really a Cantonese fusion kitchen with an extensive menu on offer.

Macau is the best place to eat if you’ll be dining with four or more people, or with children. The menu is structured in such a way that everything is better shared; one should order multiple dishes and take parts of each to comprise a full plate.

by Gio Rey Tabernero – Unsplash

How it works is that instead of ordering with a server you instead jot down the numbers of all the dishes you’d like to try, and then they are brought out as each one is ready. Again why it’s better to do in a big group where everyone is sharing, so no one is left waiting awkwardly for individual meals.

Their Cantonese dim sum is wonderful. Always steamed to perfection, never doughy or sticky.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday – 12pm to 3am // 7pm to 11pm

ADDRESS: Portugal, Rua Dom João V 31B, 1250-096 Lisboa, Portugal

METRO STATION: Rato

Má-Sá in Lisbon

Má-Sá hits a nerve for me as I not too long ago had a terrible dining experience in their restaurant. This aside, I am reluctant to sign it off as an non worthwhile place to eat in Bairro Alto as the restaurant itself is one of the most ambient and beautiful spaces in the whole district.

In Má-Sá’s defense, I wasn’t eating dim sum during my dinner here. The friend I was dining with was, and basically licked her plates clean and then still ordered more.

Their dim sum are part of their starter menu, but order enough batches and it becomes a full meal.

Má-Sá in Lisbon – by Má-Sá – Sourced from their website

The rest of their menu consists of noodle soups, watery curries and ramen — that latter being one I couldn’t even eat it was so bland.

All in all I still recommend Má-Sá as a great spot for dim sum diners. There is a lot of love in the restaurant and the food presentation is beautiful too — pity about that ramen…

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday – 6pm to 12am

ADDRESS: R. da Atalaia 4, 1200-050 Lisboa, Portugal

METRO STATION: Baixa-Chiado